Despite ongoing harsh temperatures, the event was successful.
The TU Student Ambassador table, right before the event began. Nathan Mister | Collegian
This past Wednesday, Aug. 26, the University of Tulsa held its annual fall semester Activities Fair in the area surrounding Dietler Commons. The fair’s goal was, as always, to provide an opportunity for students to discover novel extracurriculars, meet peers with similar interests and connect with organizations to join during the semester. Food was provided for the first 450 students in line for the event, after which they were free to talk to and learn from representatives of TU’s many student organizations — over 140, to be more specific. The selection was diverse, taking up the full length of Dietler Commons four times over, and included representatives of all kinds of clubs: from identity-based organizations like the Korean Student Association and the Association of Black Collegians, to political organizations like the Young Democratic Socialists of America and Turning Point USA. Official mainstays like the Student Ambassadors and Student Government Association were present, as were organizations based around shared interests, like Animation Club, Tier List Club and everything in between.
Before the event, most groups had already set up their tables, with only a scant few running late. The level of decoration ranged from a simple tablecloth and sign, to vibrant posters and even a student clad in a full suit of armor. In anticipation of the event, Carter Johannson, a senior representing the Student Ambassadors, said, “I’m really excited for the upcoming freshman class. I think we have a lot of really cool things happening on campus and I think we have a lot of really great organizations, and I think the incoming freshmen are going to make the organizations even better and make a lot of really cool ones as well.”
Almost immediately after the event began at 6 p.m., Dietler Commons was filled nearly shoulder-to-shoulder and only became more crowded as time passed. Attendance began to wane around an hour in and by the time the fair ended at 8:30 p.m., the area had just about cleared. The club representatives who remained were, in general, tired but glad they likely reached more people than they otherwise would have.
The overall sentiment among students who chose to take part in the event, both as representatives of their organizations and as attendees, was positive. Several upperclassmen attended the event and were able to share their opinions relative to their previous experiences. During the fair, seniors who chose to attend found the event to be hotter than usual, but just as useful for the freshmen class as it had been in their first three years. The food provided was widely appreciated, especially the Bondi Bowls which helped ease the burden of the over 90 degree temperatures, and the choice of location — under the shady trees around the commons — played its own part in minimizing said burden. The lack of trees in front of McFarlin Library, where the food trucks were stationed, did prove to be a nuisance — on this topic, both representatives and attendees of all ages were somewhat dissatisfied. There were also several frustrations about the line to get food only opening at 6 p.m., when the event officially began, rather than sooner. Otherwise, though, few complaints were heard.
For those who missed the event and would like to check out TU’s student organizations, visit this site. The student organization directory can help find any club on campus, the vast majority of which are always eager to accept new members.
